2011 - %extra - icon evolution: 2009-2011
Icon Evolution: 2009-2011
The amazingly fabulous absolutelybatty asked for an icon evolution post of sorts at the Ask the Icon Maker meme hosted at icon_talk, and requested both examples and discussion. So, here it is. Hopefully you'll find something interesting below, and if not... pretty icons?
I'm also beginning in 2009 for several reasons. Prior to that year, I think my icons were either generally bad or generic to the point of boring (with the exception of a few gems). They can be found at just_delicious, saturdaysocials or color_freakshow if you are really curious.
2009
In 2009 I started playing a lot more with colours, a little more with textures and a lot less with reproduced colouring. It also marked the beginning of my love affair with Glee that has been a tumultuous relationship.
01-05
06-10
11-15
16-20
21-25
26-30
31-35
Cropping: I actually think I've become less brave with my crops as the years have progressed, which makes me rather sad. I think I still favoured a center crop, but there are some close cropped icons that I really love from 2009, which is something I struggle to do these days. I'm far more concerned with ruining picture quality (probably because of the extreme amount of layers I use!). From the examples chosen, my favourites are #34, because I love the way his gaze follows her to the center of the icon and #26, as I love the expression of this cap, and am proud of how the crop allowed it to become the focus.
Colouring: This appears to be my pastel or BV (before vibrance) phase, proving that if there is a trend, I am likely to follow suit. I think I was trying to explore more neutral tones within caps, and then slowly building up the intensity of the colours without losing it's natural feel. Towards the end of the year I began to play a little more with some 'outside the box' colours. The biggest difference for me now is that looking at these icons, I'm not sure if the colouring always had a purpose. My favourites are #2, because I really loved the soft nature of the colours. It's a completely subtle icon, and I probably would struggle to re-create the colouring now, but I love the gentle nature of the colour to this day, and #22, because I believe this is where my love affair with vibrant colouring begins (however neutral the tones still are).
Composition: This has always been something I avoided because I didn't think I was good at it. Instead, I generally focused on a single image and keeping that the small focus. Which I understand is composition itself, but I view composition as stepping outside this focused box... but that's just me. I think in 2009, I did become a little braver however. I'm still quite proud of how #11, #20 & #35 came together in terms of blending. And icons such as #19 & #25, that were definitely out of my comfort zone. I think #21 is probably one of the craziest icons I've ever made as well. I look at it and see both positives and negatives, but can never figure out which one outweighs the other. My overall favourite is #19 though. It's one of those icons that I'm proud to have made, especially because I can remember the thought process that went into it.
Text/Texture Use: This is again something that I really began to explore in 2009. I was (and still am) unsure about text, but I began to become braver in terms of placement and font use. I also began to explore the ways in which textures could help build an icon layers. And towards the end of the use, I began to explore them in terms of the subtle contrast and colour they could also add to the icon. My favourite for text is #28. I think the text could be clearer, but I loved it's placement in terms of how to me, it totally summed up the icon and worked with the image. Not really sure I have a favourite for texture use, mainly because - I think I still hadn't refined the talent in 2009.
2010
or the year of vibrancy.
In 2010 I got a new computer and upgraded to PS CS5 (I'd previously used Photoshop CS). And with this upgrade came the magical tool that is vibrance, something that pretty much dictates how my icons are created these days. It also became very important this year for my icons to be prepared and finished correctly. I have this 10+ step base preparation I do on almost every icon that has continuously evolved that I just don't think I could live without. The same for the 3 or 4 steps I do to finish an icon.
01-05
06-10
11-15
16-20
21-25
26-30
31-35
36-40
41-45
46-50
Cropping: While I suppose there was some experimentation (#25), I feel as though my cropping became secondary to my colouring in 2010. And while there are also some closer crops, I still feel I appreciated and used the mid-center crop the most. My favourites here are either #25, because it is more than a little different, or #23. I love how she became the focus with the close crop, and how it highlights the expression on her face completely.
Colouring: I definitely began to explore the ways colour could shape the icon in 2010. I found ways to accentuate some colours more than others, and am fairly sure I feel in love with yellow and green for this exact reason. While I still played with neutral colouring, I felt okay enough to move beyond the neutral zone to the funky, creative, coloured tone which completely changed the icon. Favourites include #1, because I love the depth of these colours, and how it's vibrant yet shadowed all at once, #17, because the original cap is a WITCH with a B to work with, and it ended up looking like that, all vibrant and neutral and pretty, #23, which has insane layers but it was worth it... and yellow, #37, because yellows and greens and contrast make me happy, and #41, because of the yellows and purples. This scene is without a doubt my favourite to work with, and absolutely encourages my severe love of vibrance!
Composition: I'm not sure if I 'advanced' any further in terms of brave or crazy composition in 2010. I think I was stuck between comfort and fear because there are a few exceptions. #6 is something I love, and remember enjoying immensely the ways in which I played around with the image until I ended up with that. However I think beyond that - I shyed away from stepping beyond the single image comfort box. Blending intimidated me then (and it does now), however I did begin to play with extracting backgrounds, and the ways in which textures could change the feel of the icon.
Text/Texture Use: This is perhaps the area in which I also expanded a lot in 2010. I was forced into coming more creative with text due to screencap preview images at rawr_caps but looking back, I'm really, really grateful for it. I learned about manipulating the various layer styles of text, as well as exploring the way colours can work to help text advance an icon. And there were so many fun fonts to play with as well! My favourite in terms of text is #27 and #30. I think these just really worked in favour of the image, with the image, and added something extra to the icon.
In terms of texture use I think I build further on the techniques I'd discovered the previous year and really honed in on the skills. In 2009 I still had a tendency to slap a texture on an icon and leave it as is, but in 2010 I played with opacity as well as layer style, and also discovered the wonders of masking. I developed what I believe to be a subtly which wasn't there in 2009. #2 has an intense texture use, but for me, it really helped create a mood for the icon. #8 is all about the texture as well, because it's actually how the image was coloured for the most part. My favourite is definitely #2, for reasons mentioned above. I still enjoy looking at it.
2011
This year I think the focus has become really about finishing the icon off completely. Taking time to subtly adjust colour, contrast and textures until I feel the icon is complete. Its also been a year in which I've iconed less (damn you University) so when I do play around in Photoshop, I want to try and make the icons I make worthwhile.
01-05
06-10
11-15
16-20
Cropping: Like I've mentioned, I think I've moved backwards in crops to the point where I feel completely uncomfortable with close crops. Cropping as a whole is definitely where I believe my weakness lies, and therefore something I really avoid rather than work to develop. I tend to see emotion in a mid center crop (BODY POSITIONING FTW!) or even negative space rather than the closeness. But there are some amazing icon makers (memonechan, tinebrella & mm3butterfly for example) that have this wonderful ability to do exactly that with their close crops. So I tend to stick to my strengths and admire others who utilize the close crop to its full potential. I did intentionally work on #16 in an attempt to explore the close crop, although I think I like it more for it's colouring, which is the story of my life.
Colouring: So many stories to tell. I think my colours this year while still vibrancy have begun to focus on the light and shadow of an image. Vibrancy is still important, and I think I've worked hard on developing the intensity I love without over-saturating or losing the quality of the image. My love for all things yellow has grown as well, as well as placing an emphasis on strong, bold background colours to really work on highlighting the foreground. Favourites include #12, because I love the way there are two really strong colours on the icon but they aren't competing for the attention, and they don't take away from the detail of the icon either, #14, because of the shadows, and the array of colours that are within the images, and #17, because hello yellow. I also enjoy the depth of the colour in this icon, how it's bolder and more intense rather than soft.
Composition: Really, the only icons here with intentional composition are #15 and #19, and oddly enough, both focus on the loneliness of the character. Well, #19 is about the secret as well, but I also think Quinn is essentially Quinn because she is lonely. She's looking for someone to see who she really is. The b&w and the simplicity and the duplicated image are all there to emphasise that. Where as the vibrancy of #15 is there to really highlight the escapism of the character. Ironically though, no matter where she does, her world is generally quite dark. So, intentional composition to highlight this? I think so!
Text/Texture Use: Both my texture and text use have become entirely deliberate this year. Want some shadows in the blacks? Use a darkish blue texture on soft-light. Want to drive home the point of the icon? Add some text! I have become a huge fan of light textures and light blobs this year though, and the shinny nature they can bring to an icon. Also, bird texture, but only for Sucker Punch icons because it is actually IN the movie, and therefore not random. My texture favourites are #3, because they really helped to create the actual colour of this icon, which then completely changed the mood, and #5, because again, they helped create the mood. I love how it's all shadowed but not and the way the blue really helps to highlight her face. For text, #13. You have no idea how proud I was of this text. Actually, absolutelybatty does, because I flailed about it for an entire afternoon. Text is something I do when I'm feeling random or it's required, and in this case, it was random. But also part of a vision for the icon overall and when I pulled it off, I was so happy.
In the future...
I'm finding less and less time to icon now, although I've promised myself that once I go back to University I'm going to make at least one icon a night as a way to unwind. I think it's definitely about keeping the enjoyment factor running, and really just heading in the direction of comfort but challenge all at once.
And that should be all. I apologise for my rambly nature, and the fact that some of this may not even make sense. If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask. I will try to answer them to the best of my ability.